5 Ugly Foods That Are Good For Your Bones

Sometimes you can’t judge a book by it’s cover… especially when it comes to the things we eat. I’m not going to lie - some of these are an acquired taste, but give them a chance anyway because they’re great for your bone health.

As we all know, vitamin K is something that you need if you have weak bones. This crucial vitamin regulates the production of osteoblasts (the cells that build new bone) and osteoclasts (the cells that break down old bone). So it’s important to eat enough vitamin K, because a deficiency often leads to reduced bone mineral density and a host of other problems. ¹

Celeriac is super easy to incorporate into your weekly meal plan. It has a mild celery-like taste, and can be used just like how you’d use a potato - oven roasted, or in soups and stews.

These little lumps of goodness are also called sunchokes, and come from the same plant family as the beautiful sunflower. They’re native to North America and are a great source of vitamin C, iron, and bone superstars: potassium and magnesium.

You can add this little root vegetable to your diet along with other potassium-rich foods like bananas. Potassium and calcium are able to work together synergistically to inhibit bone resorption in postmenopausal women. ²

Durian doesn’t actually look that bad, but the smell is absolutely diabolical! It’s even banned in hotels across Asia due to its onion-like stink.

If you can get past the smell, consider eating this thorny fruit every once in a while. Durian’s fiber content will give your digestive system a kick. And good digestion helps you to absorb the nutrients and minerals that your bones crave. On top of that, durian contains a mix of calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron, all of which support strong bones! Iron deficiency has been linked to increased risk of developing osteoporosis. ⁴

Durian isn't going to give you as much iron has what can be found in red meat or poultry, but when you consider some of its other benefits, this vegetarian-friendly food is definitely worth trying some time!

While we’re on the subject of iron, did you know that chicken liver contains 11 mg of iron per 100g? That makes it a better source of iron than beef meat (3.5 mg) and spinach (2.7 mg).

Liver is nutrient dense and is also one of your best food sources of vitamin B12 and A. Current research shows that vitamin D must partner with vitamin A to be fully effective for your bones. You need approximately the same amount of both these vitamins in order to be in balance. Vitamin A is important for bone health, but eating way too much of it can also encourage osteoclast activity and bone loss. ⁵

So you’ll need to speak to your doctor to figure out the exact amount your body needs.

Vitamin A Upper Tolerable Limit (UL): 10,000 IU per day.

Chicken liver has: 14,000 IU per 100 g

If it turns out that you’re deficient in vitamin A, adding liver to your diet is a great option. Just remember that if you’re going to eat liver, always choose organic. Consuming the liver of an animal that’s been given hormones, antibiotics, and GMO grain is going to be bad for you. We don’t want those harmful chemicals in our body!

Chicken liver is quite potent in both iron and vitamin A, so you don’t need to be eating a lot. It can look a bit slimy and unappetizing, but if you can find some organic ones from your local butcher or market, try grilling or pan frying with onions and garlic. You’ll be able to find a lot of French recipes that use liver.